ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · stem · present · wound · suit · race · court · mine

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. court — of law
  3. present — the time now
  4. race — a contest
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. race — humankind
  8. present — a gift
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. suit — clothes
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — to come from
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mine — for digging
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com